In recent decades, the treatment of vascular diseases has grown exponentially in terms of sophistication and diversity. Most cardio-thoracic procedures, bypasses, and valve surgeries are routine, almost commonplace. Their popularity is due, in part, to their tremendous success rates and their ability to offer extraordinary benefits to a patient. Other types of surgeries have achieved a similar level of acceptance and popularity.
Many such procedures involve the use of medical devices, which have experienced considerable notoriety in recent years. Although these devices can automate and improve various types of procedures, many of these instruments offer from a number of significant drawbacks. For example, the environment in which a surgeon performs such procedures is typically localized and, therefore, the size and shape of the medical devices used in such procedures is constrained by the environment. While a medical device may initially be advantageous in delivering tissue, vessels, or other devices to a surgical site, once deployed, the size or shape of the medical device often presents difficulties to surgeons trying to access the site. This detracts from the value of the surgery, adds unnecessary risk for a patient, and forces a surgeon to exercise extraordinary diligence in using such devices. Therefore, optimizing or simplifying any of these problematic issues may yield a significant reduction in risk for a patient and, further, minimize the accompanying burden for a surgeon.